Ted Mosby
In 2030, Ted Mosby sat down to tell his kids the story of "How I Met Your Mother." Beginning in 2005, Ted's meandering journey has taken him through many failed relationships, including being left at the altar. But the architect-turned-professor isn't giving up on his search for the perfect woman. She's out there, and each episode of Ted's life brings him a step closer to meeting her. Character History Ted, the central character of the show, is from Shaker Heights, Ohio, and is a Wesleyan University graduate and an architect who, according to Barney, thinks too much. After his best friend Marshall becomes engaged, Ted decides to try and find his soul mate. Prone to socially questionable romantic gestures, he steals a blue French horn (nicknamed " The Smurf Penis") that was a topic of conversation in his first date with Robin. In a similar vein, he also dresses up as a "hanging chad" every year for Halloween, in the hopes of meeting the , a woman dressed as a jack-o'-lantern (complete with strategically placed holes) whom he once met at a Halloween party. For a time, he dates a baker named Victoria, whom he met at a friend's wedding. She accepts a culinary fellowship in Germany, prompting a long-distance relationship, which does not last, due in large part to his persistent feelings for Robin. His friendship with Robin is threatened when he implies that Victoria broke up with him before he actually did, leading to their making out. He and Robin ultimately reconcile, and shortly after that, Ted makes one last attempt to win her, hiring a chamber orchestra with blue instruments to play in her apartment while he makes his appeal. She cannot give him a definite answer, but, after she is stuck at her apartment due to an unpredicted storm (that Ted had danced for), she decides to pursue her feelings for him upon his return to her. After nearly a year together, they break up, and Ted no longer sees Robin as "The One," but doesn't reveal the identity of his future wife. Robin, however, does act as an "Aunt" figure of sorts to his future children. Ted comes from Shaker Heights, Ohio, (in real life, Josh Radnor grew up in the Columbus, Ohio area, and writer Carter Bays is from Shaker Heights). He was seen cheering for the Cleveland Indians when they were playing the Yankees at a baseball game in the episode and also alluded to once being trapped under a fake rock at a mall in Ohio when he was 9 in the episode . He also wears a Cleveland Indians T-Shirt in the episode Sandcastles In The Sand. He and Marshall were randomly assigned as freshman year roommates at Wesleyan but became friends on a long road trip that was deemed both "Fieroasco" (by Marshall) and the "100k Fiasco" (by Ted). This story was told in . For a while Ted claimed to be "vomit-free since '93," meaning he had not vomited for any reason since 1993. However, in the episode , he reveals that this is not true, and that he vomited on Robin's door mat. He knows sign language (presumably American Sign Language) as well as French, Spanish and Italian. He has a strong tendency to correct everything that people around him say. It is revealed in that at a St. Patrick's Day party he and Barney attended, his future wife was also present and he inadvertently met her there. Once he returns to the room of the party the morning after, he picks up a yellow umbrella which can be seen blowing in the wind in the season promo. Also, he becomes the second main character to actually own a car (a blue Toyota Camry Hybrid) after getting a raise at his job in . By the end of the episode, Ted decides to get rid of the car to help Marshall with his income trouble. In , Ted tells Barney that he no longer wants to be friends after Barney breaks the 'bro code' by sleeping with Robin. The two eventually reconcile in the Season Three Finale Miracles, after both were in accidents (Ted in a taxi crash, Barney being run over by a bus on the way to visit Ted in the hospital). At the end of season 3, it is also revealed that by Ted's 31st birthday, Robin will be living in the apartment. At the beginning of the third season, Ted, while drunk, gets a butterfly tattoo on his lower back (his "tramp stamp"). He goes to see a doctor in order to have it removed, and goes on a date with the doctor in . In , they reveal Stella as the doctor, and after the tattoo is removed, Ted takes her on a two-minute date. They begin dating, and at the end of Ted proposes to Stella. She says yes at the beginning of the fourth season. Ted invites Stella's ex-boyfriend Tony (the father of her daughter) his wedding, which unbeknownst to him, causes Stella and her ex's feelings to reemerge for each other and Stella leaves Ted at the altar. Ted's life continues to see a negative turn during the fourth season. After being left at the altar, Ted has trouble rebounding back into a romantic setting, and his job becomes a source of trouble as well. After being hired to design a project for Goliath National Bank, he is fired after weeks of unsuccessful work by Bilson. He attempts to remedy this by starting his own firm, Mosbius Designs, but continues to be unable to get a client. It is revealed in the season four finale , that Ted ultimately accepts a job as an architecture professor, a job offered to him by Stella's boyfriend Tony as a peace offering. He also reveals that the mother of his children is in that classroom. However, in the next episode, it is revealed that Ted was in the wrong classroom on his first day, and that he was standing in front of a group of Economics students. After starting on his job as Professor of Architecture at the University of Columbia at the beginning of Season 5, Ted meets, and briefly dates, an economics student named Cindy. They break up after Cindy realizes Ted and her roommate have a lot in common, despite the two never having met. Her roommate is revealed by Future Ted to be the titular Mother. She hasn't been shown on-screen except for a glimpse Ted gets of her ankles on his way out of Cindy's apartment. Over the course of the season, Ted bonds with his students deeper until they come to regard him as a true mentor. Ted's mother and her boyfriend announce to Ted that they're getting married, and subsequently do so. During the ceremony, Ted realizes his mother has gotten married twice while he's only gotten as far as the altar. He then goes off the grid for three days, with none of his friends being able to reach him. He finally calls them over to a property he just bought; his future home, which he slowly renovates from a dilapidated mess into a liveable homestead. The group discovers Ted's doppelganger, a Mexican wrestler, later in the season. Ted is later approached by Goliath National Bank to resume designing their new headquarters after they secured a location: The Arcadian, an old hotel which they intend to demolish and build Ted's design upon. Whilst looking at the old building, Ted meets Zoey, an activist who runs a movement opposing The Arcadian's destruction. Ted pretends to support her movement but when she finds out the building is being cleared to make way for his design, a tense rivalry begins between them. Ted later meets Zoey again at a banquet hosted by her husband, 'The Captain', and they begin to bond. After a while, Zoey becomes friends with the rest of the group and Ted realizes he has feelings for her. He tries to suppress this as she is a married woman, until it eventually comes to light that not only does Zoey love Ted too, but she is divorcing The Captain, and so they begin an unsteady relationship as they are constantly arguing about various topics, including Zoey's beloved Arcadian. Ted is forced to decide between pursuing his dream of building a New York skyscraper and keeping Zoey - he chooses the former, and the building is destroyed. Zoey and Ted break up immediately afterwards. Future Ted Future Ted is the one narrating the entire season and telling the main plot to his kids of how he met their mother. The kids just want to know when he did meet their mother but Ted keeps telling them that "it's a long story". So far the kids only know that Victoria, Karen, Natalie, Blah Blah, Amanda, Trudy, Robin, Stella, and Zoey are not the mother and the real mother has yet to be revealed, although it seems to be getting close. Their future mom is revealed to be a college student learning economics. Future Ted is voiced by Bob Saget. It is also rumored that Ted's future wife's name is Tracy due to a joke at the end of the episode "Belly Full of Turkey". Relationships Marshall Eriksen Ted and Marshall met at Wesleyan University, where they were roommates. After they graduated from Wesleyan, they rented an apartment together in New York. They lived together till 2008, when Marshall and Lily bought an apartment together. Ted repeatedly says that Marshall is his best friend in front Barney which annoys him, because he sees himself as Ted's best friend. Ted was the best man at Marshall's wedding, alongside Barney. Barney Stinson Barney and Ted are good friends. Although Marshall is Ted's best friend Barney calls Ted his best friend. After Barney slept with Robin, they stop being friends until both are in an accident. Ted calls Barney his brother. Ted often goes to Barney when he's single instead of Marshall due to Marshall being married. Ted is the best man at Barney's wedding. Lily Aldrin Lily and Ted are good friends and met in college. Lily is married to Marshall, Ted's best friend. Lily often does things to sabotage Ted's relationships because she sees her and Marshall growing old with Ted and his future wife. Although they are friends, Ted took Marshall's side and held a grudge against Lily, calling her names after she leaves Marshall to go to San Francisco. Romantic Interests Natalie Ted had dated Natalie three years before time of the episode "Return of the Shirt" and had broken up with her on her birthday, through a phone call. In "Return of the Shirt" Ted feels nostalgic about her and tries to asks her out again. She rejects him twice, showing that she is still hurt after all these year, but he finally gets her to agree for a cup of coffee. The two sleep together and start dating again thereafter. After three weeks of dating Ted realizes that she is not the one, and decides to break up with her. On their date, he learns that it is her birthday and he breaks up with her anyways. She takes it really hard and beats him up. Victoria Ted met Victoria at Stuart and Claudia's wedding. She didn't tell him her full name or give him any significant details about her, since she didn't hook up with any guys on wedding. However, Ted found her and they started dating. They date for a few months before she accepts a culinary fellowship overseas, and after trying long-distance for a while, they break up because Ted cheated on her with Robin. She later comes back and tells Ted that his friendship with Robin, his ex, is a bigger part of his world than he realizes and that she is the main reason Ted's earlier relationships have failed. Played by Ashley Williams Robin Scherbatsky Ted meets her in the pilot episode and takes her out on a date, but after telling her he loves her on the first date, she ends it. They begin dating again at the end of Season 1. They dated for a year but break up when they realize that they want different things. After that, things become awkward for them, but they soon revived their friendship and even became roommates. After Robin's break up with Don at the end of season 5, Robin and Ted almost kiss after. They remained good friends to date. :Main article: Ted and Robin Stella Zinman Stella was Ted's dermatologist who removed Ted's butterfly tattoo during Season 3. After taking her on a two-minute date, they start dating. He proposes to her at the end of Season 3 but they season ends without the viewers hearing her response. At the beginning of Season 4, she tells Ted she will marry him. However, she leaves Ted at the altar and runs off with her ex-boyfriend and the father of Lucy,Tony Grafanello. Karen Ted's on-again-off-again girlfriend from high school and college who he briefly returns to dating in season 4. Zoey Pierson Zoey and Ted started of as enemies because she was against the tearing down of The Arcadian, but they later became friends. After sometimes Ted realizes that he loves her, but she was married at the time, so he told her that he can't be friends with her anymore. Marshall finds out that Zoey and her husband are getting a divorce because she also loves Ted, and he brings them together. Although, the motives about The Arcadian are opposite to each other, they don't talk about it and continue to date. Zoey later reveals to Ted that she doesn't want The Arcadian to be demolished since she lived there when she was little girl. However ,Ted eventually chooses his career over her when he lets The Arcadian to be demolished and they break up. A few weeks later, he bumps into her and she tells him that she wants to get back together with him. They decide to meet at the restaurant where they had there first date, but Ted is stopped by Barney and Robin, before he can see her again. Family ) }} Notes and Trivia *In , it is shown that when Ted is nervous, he peels off the label on beer bottles, similar to how Lily peels off the label when she has done something bad. * In Ted is shown to have a "naked lady noise", which he uses every time he sees a naked lady (proven by Robin). This could be in either reality or in his imagination. *In it is revealed that in his whole life, Ted has only been in one fight, with one of the bartenders at MacLaren's, Doug Martin. Ted was beaten up by Natalie in , but since that was one-sided, so maybe he didn't count that as a fight. *Ted can communicate with sign language, as shown when he first "helps" Barney to get a phone number from a girl (actually, he tricked Barney, since what he really told the girl was to give Barney a fake number), as shown in . This talent appeared again in . *In , he was colorblind for a week because he drank a whole case of Tantrum with Marshall on a trip to Gazola's. *In season 5 he dyed his hair blonde References Category:Characters Category:the gang Category:Guys who dated Robin Category:Goliath National Bank Category:Who is the Mother? Category:Wesleyan University